With all the diet fads going around nowadays, its hard to keep up with all of the stuff that is actually good for you. Is it good for me? Is it a super food? Will it give me tons of energy? These are probably some of the questions that float around in your head... no? OK, that's just me then.
Lately, with all this GMO Monsanto talk, there is also a rush on super foods. This stuff has been around for a billion years, and now, its just getting the press it deserves. A few years ago, it was quinoa. Pronounced (kin-wa) for those who still don't know how in the hell to say it. For those who have no idea what the heck it is, its a grain like seed, kinda like couscous, but more woody tasting. It originated in the Andean region of Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia and Peru. It is an excellent source of both fiber and protein. I happen to like quinoa a lot. More foods that top the "OMG you must incorporate it into your diet NOW" list are coconut water, aloe vera, flaxseed, and chia seeds.
Now, when I think of chia, I think of the novelty pottery that you spread the gelled seeds all over and it grows like a plant afro. Pretty sweet stuff came out of the 80's, man!
For being a tiny little seed, they pack a mean punch. According to the USDA, a one ounce (28 grams) serving of chia seeds contains 9 grams of fat, 5 milligrams of sodium, 11 grams of dietary fiber and 4 grams of protein. The seeds also have 18% of the recommended daily intake of calcium, 27% phosphorus and 30% manganese, similar in nutrient content to other edible seeds such as flax or sesame. You can add them to so many things. I add a tablespoon to my yogurt. You can also add them to juice and let it sit overnight until they gel up and drink it with your breakfast. Today I added them to some muffins I baked.
Grandma has the best recipe for banana bread. Hands down. One day I went to pull the recipe out of my massive recipe binder and it was missing. GONE. Never to be found again (until 6 months later when, of course, I wasn't looking for it.) Grandma is getting old and starting to lose her marbles. In a panic, I thought, 'I'll just call Grammy and get the recipe from her again. No biggie."
Boy was I wrong.
Grandma only found one recipe. WAAAAY off from the one that I had. I had made it a bunch of times, so I knew what the ingredients were, just not what the measurements were. She started reading off the ingredients and I knew that it wasn't the one I had. Long story short, we ended up arguing and I ended up recreating the recipe from my memory.
Well, today I realized that I had some strawberries left from my trip to the farmers market. I also had 4 very ripe bananas that either needed to be used today or tossed in the garbage tomorrow. That's when the idea hit me: Strawberry banana muffins! Genius! I also remember seeing some chia seeds in my cabinet that I had gotten a few weeks ago and thought maybe I should add some of those too. Let me tell you - BEST GODDAMN MUFFINS EVER!
Strawberry Banana Chia Muffins
1/2 cup Crisco Shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup of buttermilk or regular milk with 1 tbsp of lemon juice
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
3-4 very ripe bananas
6 large fresh strawberries
1/4 cup chia seeds
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease muffin tins or use paper muffin liners. In a food processor or blender, pulse the strawberries a few times to get them into tiny pieces. Pour into a bowl and set aside. Add bananas to blender or food processor and puree. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, add shortening, sugars, eggs,buttermilk (or milk with lemon juice), and vanilla extract. Mix thoroughly. Add dry ingredients and combine. Add banana puree, strawberries and seeds and combine. Pour mixture into muffin tin and fill them up 3/4 of the way to the top. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the muffins comes out clean. Allow to cool before eating.
Makes 18 muffins.
** You can also make banana nut muffins from this recipe by leaving out the strawberries and chia seeds and adding a 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts if you like.
Lately, with all this GMO Monsanto talk, there is also a rush on super foods. This stuff has been around for a billion years, and now, its just getting the press it deserves. A few years ago, it was quinoa. Pronounced (kin-wa) for those who still don't know how in the hell to say it. For those who have no idea what the heck it is, its a grain like seed, kinda like couscous, but more woody tasting. It originated in the Andean region of Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia and Peru. It is an excellent source of both fiber and protein. I happen to like quinoa a lot. More foods that top the "OMG you must incorporate it into your diet NOW" list are coconut water, aloe vera, flaxseed, and chia seeds.
Now, when I think of chia, I think of the novelty pottery that you spread the gelled seeds all over and it grows like a plant afro. Pretty sweet stuff came out of the 80's, man!
The first time I consumed chia seeds is when I was pulled in by another super food called Kombucha. Kombucha is fermented tea. I know what you're thinking... Fermented?! Doesn't that mean its bad?
No.
According to Wikipedia, the kombucha culture is a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast, comprising Acetobacter (a genus of acetic acid bacteria) and one or more yeasts. Kombucha producers often claim that kombucha 'detoxifies the body and energizes the mind', although little research of its health benefits has been published.
To me, straight kombucha tastes like sweaty gym socks were wrung out into a jar, labelled and put in the refrigerator. It is DEFINITELY an acquired taste. However, Synergy brand makes a kombucha chia drink that is pretty damn tasty.
When chia seeds get wet, they form a gel coating. they suspend themselves in the kombucha and look pretty darn sweet in the glass bottles. The cherry one is my favorite. For being a tiny little seed, they pack a mean punch. According to the USDA, a one ounce (28 grams) serving of chia seeds contains 9 grams of fat, 5 milligrams of sodium, 11 grams of dietary fiber and 4 grams of protein. The seeds also have 18% of the recommended daily intake of calcium, 27% phosphorus and 30% manganese, similar in nutrient content to other edible seeds such as flax or sesame. You can add them to so many things. I add a tablespoon to my yogurt. You can also add them to juice and let it sit overnight until they gel up and drink it with your breakfast. Today I added them to some muffins I baked.
Grandma has the best recipe for banana bread. Hands down. One day I went to pull the recipe out of my massive recipe binder and it was missing. GONE. Never to be found again (until 6 months later when, of course, I wasn't looking for it.) Grandma is getting old and starting to lose her marbles. In a panic, I thought, 'I'll just call Grammy and get the recipe from her again. No biggie."
Boy was I wrong.
Grandma only found one recipe. WAAAAY off from the one that I had. I had made it a bunch of times, so I knew what the ingredients were, just not what the measurements were. She started reading off the ingredients and I knew that it wasn't the one I had. Long story short, we ended up arguing and I ended up recreating the recipe from my memory.
Well, today I realized that I had some strawberries left from my trip to the farmers market. I also had 4 very ripe bananas that either needed to be used today or tossed in the garbage tomorrow. That's when the idea hit me: Strawberry banana muffins! Genius! I also remember seeing some chia seeds in my cabinet that I had gotten a few weeks ago and thought maybe I should add some of those too. Let me tell you - BEST GODDAMN MUFFINS EVER!
Strawberry Banana Chia Muffins
1/2 cup Crisco Shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup of buttermilk or regular milk with 1 tbsp of lemon juice
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
3-4 very ripe bananas
6 large fresh strawberries
1/4 cup chia seeds
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease muffin tins or use paper muffin liners. In a food processor or blender, pulse the strawberries a few times to get them into tiny pieces. Pour into a bowl and set aside. Add bananas to blender or food processor and puree. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, add shortening, sugars, eggs,buttermilk (or milk with lemon juice), and vanilla extract. Mix thoroughly. Add dry ingredients and combine. Add banana puree, strawberries and seeds and combine. Pour mixture into muffin tin and fill them up 3/4 of the way to the top. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the muffins comes out clean. Allow to cool before eating.
Makes 18 muffins.
** You can also make banana nut muffins from this recipe by leaving out the strawberries and chia seeds and adding a 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts if you like.
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